Brandix says no one from India came to its manufacturing facility

Brandix, one of Sri Lanka’s largest garment industry employers in the centre of a storm of controversy over a large cluster of COVID-19 infections emanating from one of its factories, has denied reports that Indian nationals were at its Minuwangoda factory and the cause of the infections.

“No parties from India or any other country had access to the Minuwangoda facility,” the beleaguered company said in its third statement on the crisis which has resulted in over 1,000 infections from the Minuwangoda cluster.

“Our organisation, Brandix, continues to face the challenge of navigating a COVID-19 crisis at our facility in Minuwangoda. Throughout this process, we will continue to keep you updated and clarify any concerns raised by the public, with the aim of being transparent,” the statement said.

It said the company operated three chartered flights from Visakhapatnam, India for their Sri Lankan employees working in India and their families, who returned to Sri Lanka. “We confirm that they, including their families, followed the Sri Lanka Government protocol for the prevention and control of COVID-19, which includes PCR testing and a 14- day mandatory quarantine at a government regulated quarantine facility, as well as the 14- day self- quarantine process done under the supervision of the respective PHIs. Further to this, it must also be noted that none of these Sri Lankans nor their family members visited the Minuwangoda manufacturing facility,” it said.